Ben Baker's Christmas Box

Wait, what? There's more?   

Welcome to a coal-carrying window into Christmas TV past in each short episode I talk to a guest about a programme that represents Christmas to them...hang on we've done all that, haven't we? Its New Years Eve, or as Tracey and slash or Steve Binnie up in Scotland would call it Hogmanay. And key to those celebrations for many years was Rikki Fulton's wonderful sketch series "Scotch and Wry" with its iconic characters Supercop, the Gallowgate Gourmet and I.M Jolly, the dour minister closing out most episodes. That is except for viewers in England who have their own programmes...sadly.

Welcome to an out of this world window into seasonally-sprinkled TV past. Broadcaster and all round enthusiast Julian Sparrow talks about the excitement of getting to see sci-fi blockbusters at Christmastime with a runthrough all the biggest ones to appear on the 25th itself including Disney's much maligned "The Black Hole", "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Back To The Future". Plus the joys of living on a small island, inappropriate youth reading and Duran Duran's place in the wider Star Wars canon. 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, an unbelievable bimble through television's present-wrapping past. In this short episode I have with me the writer and researcher Justin Lewis who has chosen the 1983 My Life In Bins special with one of Stutz Bear Cats....sorry, that should've read "One Foot In The Grave" Christmas special from 1994, the hilarious but haunting "The Man Who Blew Away". There's lots more in here too that I'm not even going to spoil by describing. Its good though. You can believe it. 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, a grapple happy gamble through television's present past. In each short episode I talk to a guest about a programme that represents the gift giving period to them and today I'm joined by musician and podcaster Garreth Hirons. He's offering up a whole mixed bag of sweaty, trunk-wearing telly moments from various points and places in time, all connected by a tendency by the subjects to beat each other over the heads with a chair. There's WWF's creepy, beer-swilling none-more-2001 end of term party, TNA's truly appalling "Silent Night, Bloody Night" four-way with a barbed wire Christmas tree (and a boy dressed as a shark) plus the least appropriate spirit of Christmas: Bret "The Hitman" Hart being visited by a very special guest. WHAT?

The podcast that remains a shimmying vision in red through TV's past returns as Ben Baker talks to a guest about a programme that represents the Christmas period to them in some way. Today we go way off the beaten dusty road with the wonderful Joanne Sheppard who has been tormented by a trail for BBC One's slate of festive light entertainment for 1993 for nigh on three decades. Some of these episodes are a love letter to telly gone by, some are brutally honest therapy sessions and some are just hysterically funny conversations about the weirdos that we unwittingly allowed into our collective homes for generations. Fetch a Noel wrangler, throw your lamp at Jim Davidson and just BE THERE.  

Time for another tinsel-topped trip through telly's festive past with a regular Ben Baker that has snow on the logo. In each short episode I talk to a guest about a programme that represents the Christmas period to them and today the author and playwright Mark Griffiths discusses BBC One's 1982 selection box of new comedy shorts from established programmes "The Funny Side of Christmas" featuring everything from "Last Of the Summer Wine" to "Three of a Kind". Among many freewheeling detours, Mark tells me about his experience writing for Smith and Jones aged 18, chooses the new Frank Muir and recites a particularly memorable moment from "Yes Minister". Come all friends of the dialysis machine! 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, a badly decorated ham stuffed with holly and choirboys. In each short episode I talk to a guest about a TV programme that represents the end of December to them and today I'm joined by writer and academic type Rhys Jones who provides a plasticine pal with a very rude mouth in the literal mould of Rex The Runt, a lesser-spotted Aardman cartoon which ran throughout Christmas 1998 on BBC Two. 

Here we discuss the first episode of the domestic and yet fantastical series "Holiday In Vince" first aired on December 21st 1998 at 6:25pm. There's also a look at other less kid-friendly cartoons of the time, bad language at teatime, Judith Chalmers, random Pavarotti disease, losing Peppa Pig, Chihuahua eating and all sorts of other model behaviour. 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, a trandem toddle through television's present past. In each short episode I talk to a guest about a programme that represents the British Christmas period to them and despite mentioning that, my guest today is actually from A Country That Isn't Here. Alison Bean tells me about the differences between a British and Australian Christmas, the bafflement of pantomime and her love for Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden aka The Goodies. They did a handful of iconic Christmas specials but less remembered is "Snow White 2" their 1981 debut for LWT after a decade at the Beeb. We discuss if the reputation that series has as being inferior is justified, what a Goodies panto might have been like and much more. Get your xylophones at the ready! 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, a seasonally swanky trip through television's present-wrapped past. In each short episode I talk to a guest about something that represents the Christmas period to them and today I'm joined by musician, podcaster and composer of my amazing new theme tune Paul Abbott who has brought to the turkey-stained table "Peace On Earth", a 1939 Christmas cartoon all about the very least festive subject imaginable. He's here to expunge some childhood terrors and pass them onto us...Merry Deathmas! 

Welcome to Ben Baker's Christmas Box, a limited run podcast in the original packaging. In each short episode I'll talk to a guest about a TV programme that represents the Christmas period to them and to birth proceedings with a camel and a carol Tim Worthington appears as if by magic to discuss BBC Schools programme "Watch" and in particular its 1977 two-parter about the Nativity. Plus freewheeling non-festive nonsense about all manner of TV past, school, Matchmakers, bush hiding and much more. Clap your hands! 

Watch...erm "Watch" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMMp3G6Y09Q

Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ10JoOLFkk